This week we're revisiting the epic 2003 UEFA Cup final between a young Jose Mourinho's Porto and veteran Martin O'Neill's Celtic. We breakdown both club's squads and stars (Deco! Henrik Larsson!), tactics, and storylines, before diving into their respective runs to the final, then the final itself. Join us in the time capsule, where two famous sides gave us the ultimate spectacle that just so happened to be a pivot point in the history of European football. Cheers to (can't believe we're saying...
Nov 25, 2024•2 hr 19 min
It was a day of thrilling upsets, particularly in the Conference League, where Celje trounces Basaksehir, Vikingur buries Cercle, and TNS gets the Welsh league's first ever points in a European competition. Elsewhere, United, Nice, and Betis continue to struggle, Lazio go top of the Europa League, and Chelsea are...pretty damn good? All that and more on this week's AGT! Cheers Adrian Siemieniec!
Oct 27, 2024•1 hr 54 min
It's the international break, and you know what that means: Club Spotlight time! This week, David walks us through Enschede's own FC Twente of the Eredivisie, including all its rich history, honors, and tactical iterations. Finally, we finish on Twente's promising new era (including recent points earned against Manchester United and Fenerbahce) , which places them in a fascinating context within Dutch football and even this season's Europa League. Cheers again Joseph Oosting!...
Oct 14, 2024•56 min
36 games games in the Europa and Conference Leagues have come and gone, and we have a LOT to talk about! In the Europa, we had a thriller in Porto, smaller clubs getting huge upset results ( RFS (!), Elfsborg, Twente, Anderlecht), bigger clubs struggling (Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, Roma, Sociedad), and Tottenham youngsters stormed the gates in Hungary. Meanwhile in the Conference, Chelsea continued their scintillating form, Fiorentina did Fiorentina stuff, Betis fell in Poland, and Cercle Brugge r...
Oct 05, 2024•1 hr 42 min
A busy and thrilling match-week 1 in the Europa League comes to a close! Bodo and Twente offer the surprises of the week against Porto and Manchester United, a couple of high-profile fixtures end in 1-1 draws, starry Galatasaray and Fenerbahce motor through, and Frankfurt throws away a win. All that and more as our League Phase kicks off! And if you'd like to see our beautiful faces while listening, we are now posting our episodes on Youtube - video and all. Check us out at at @AnyGivenThursday....
Sep 27, 2024•1 hr 43 min
With the Europa and Conference League League Phases rapidly approaching, we thought we'd give you a quick special edition episode with all our predictions for Matchday 1! First we cover the Europa, which kicks off Wednesday the 25th, then hit the Conference, which starts a week later on October 2. Do you agree with our takes? Are we spot on? Or are we idiots? Only time will tell. Cheers Mladen Žižović!
Sep 24, 2024•28 min
Our next League Phase preview is up and running, and this time we're all about the Conference League! Here, we react to our first taste of the new League Phase (via the Champions League), then dive into all our predictions for the six Conference League matchdays to come. We debate the teams who will qualify for the top 8, discuss the best fixtures, and highlight a couple of clubs to look out (I'm looking at you Lugano!). We also muse at whether The New Saints can get a single point. We believe i...
Sep 23, 2024•1 hr 6 min
To welcome the return of our arch nemesis, the Champions League, we're releasing a preview of the Europa (League) League Phase! While still a week away from UEL football, we're stepping in to answer all your questions about the new format and the pros and cons of the switch from traditional group stages. Then, we predict which clubs will qualify for the knockouts and which will receive a bye by finishing in the top 8, before finishing with some of our favorite fixtures throughout the 8 League Ph...
Sep 16, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Our Club Spotlight series returns for the new season, and this time we turn our attention to the Basque Country and the pride of Donostia-San Sebastián, Real Sociedad. The famous club is a founding member of La Liga, a proud owner of 2 top-flight league titles and 3 Copa del Reys, and of course, a proud part of Basque culture. Maxwell takes David through the club's history, its past accomplishments, its recent success and tactics under coach Imanol Alguacil, and its intertwinement with the regio...
Sep 08, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Qualifying is over! I repeat: qualifying is OVER. That's right, we have our 36 League Phase teams decided in both the Europa and the Conference League, and we're walking you through how each club got there in the final matchday of the qualifying rounds. Fiorentina and Chelsea eek through, Lens upset by Panathinaikos, and Larne and other small-nation clubs shine. Cheers to Tiernan Lynch!
Aug 31, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Welcome to Any Given Thursday's new Serie A spinoff podcast! David is going to take you through all the news and developments from the last week in Calcio, from Milan's disasterous start to Juventus's new look and all the Como and Lecce in between!
Aug 27, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 1
We're just 90 minutes of football away from finalizing our contestants in the '24-25 Europa and Conference Leagues after a thrilling first leg. In the UEL, Ajax got a big win away and Lugano and Besiktas play out a thriller, but the drama really kicked off in the UECL. Fiorentina was held at home to Puskas, Heidenheim got their first ever European win, and Chelsea just about squeaked through. We discuss all the biggest matches of the day - then some of the smallest, debating which nation might g...
Aug 24, 2024•1 hr 21 min
Our third season of Any Given Thursday is off and running! We're officially back and picking up our beloved Europa and Conference Leagues as they completed the 3rd Qualifying Round. Did you watch? Did you miss it? Either way, we've got you covered, running through some of the biggest fixtures and results, looking ahead to this week's Playoff Round, make some long term predictions, and even play some a game. We're thrilled to be back for 2024-25 (not 23-24 as spoken on the podcast, whoops) and we...
Aug 19, 2024•1 hr 13 min
We're back for a summer fling! On this two-part special edition summer show, we're recapping the two thrilling international tournaments we witnessed: the Euros and Copa America (ft Concacaf). This is Part 2: Copa America 2024. We begin with the world-beaters Argentina, give Colombia and Uruguay their due, and question Brazil's path to success before discussing a messy Concacaf showing and the many baffling difficulties the organizers had in putting on the tournament. Cheers to the Lionels (Scal...
Jul 25, 2024•1 hr 11 min
We're back for a summer fling! On this two-part special edition summer show, we're recapping the two thrilling international tournaments we witnessed: the Euros and Copa America (ft Concacaf). This is Part 1: Euro 2024. We give Spain their dues, give our takes on England, and bask in the glow of the Georgias and Slovenias of the tourney. Finally, we close with some thoughts on the early-goings of European club football's early qualifying rounds. Cheers Luis de la Fuente!...
Jul 25, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Here we go! Fiorentina-Olympiacos is here and so is our preview pod! We revisit the path both sides took to the final - Olympiacos' first ever European final appearance, Fiorentina's second Conference League final in as many years - identify key players and tactics, and make our predictions. Cheers to Vincenzo Italiano and José Luis Mendilibar!
May 27, 2024•45 min
Atalanta are Europa League champions, winning their first ever European title and first major trophy since 1963! And all they had to do was knock off the formerly-invincible, 51-game-undefeated-streak fighting Xabi Alonsos. We talk all about the game, Gasperini's brilliant tactics and Atalanta's flawless execution, Lookman's start turn, Leverkusen's struggles throughout, consequential lineup decisions, and more, including the historical significances, and both sides' prospects next season. We al...
May 24, 2024•1 hr 10 min
The Europa League final is finally upon us, and we at Any Given Thursday are here to deliver you all the key storylines. First, we recap how Leverkusen and Atalanta made it to the last UEL fixture of the season, along with successes and challenges along the way, then we dive into the game itself, breaking down lineup decisions, key matchups, and take a stab at predicting the outcome. This should be one hell of a final. Cheers to Gian Piero Gasperini AND Xabi Alonso!
May 20, 2024•53 min
And just like that, we have our two finals! Leverkusen STILL undefeated (by the skin of their teeth), Atalanta dominates, Olympiacos cruises, and Fiorentina does Fiorentina things. We recap all four games, look ahead to the very exciting finals, and eulogize Roma, Marseille, Villa, and Brugge. We tried set out to make a shorter episode this week and instead made one even longer. So please enjoy our 6-hour segment on Leverkusen and the minimum amount of time to everyone else. Cheers to Vincenzo I...
May 13, 2024•1 hr 14 min
We're halfway to the finals in Athens with a quadruple of thrilling first leg matches. Leverkusen STILL unbeaten, a goal fest in the Conference League, and a huge upset in Birmingham! All that and more this week on Any Given Thursday. Cheers to (hello old friend) José Luis Mendilibar!
May 06, 2024•1 hr 11 min
We are down to our final 4 clubs in the Europa and Conference Leagues - 8 teams left for 2 European trophies! We discuss all the action from the 2nd legs of the quarterfinals, from Leverkusen's perfection, to Roma's continued resurgence, Villa and Fiorentina hanging on, Atalanta's completed upset, and so much more. Plus, we take a sneak peak into the 4 semifinal matchups, including a thrilling Roma-Leverkusen tie. Cheers to Nicky Hayen!
Apr 25, 2024•1 hr 17 min
Our precious Europa and Conference Leagues have finally returned to us, and with them, as usual, came great drama. Atalanta put in one of the performances of the season, smashing Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield! Elsewhere, Roma gets a big win in Milan, Villa and Lille do battle, a wild one between Olympiacos and Fenerbahce, and Leverkusen continues their undefeated season (congrats on its first ever Bundesliga title). All that plus a look-ahead to the do or die second legs. Cheers to Gian Piero Gasperi...
Apr 15, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Our Club Spotlight returns with a deep dive on Thessaloniki, Greece's own PAOK FC! David spotlight's the club's rich history, its recent run of successes, its many second place finishes, and so much more! Cheers Giannis Konstantelias!
Apr 08, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Jacob and Max are back to share all about the 1st and 2nd rounds of the tournament! Here, we continue on with the West and South, where we discuss the few sizable upsets of the tournament, including near-Cinderella Oakland. Elsewhere, Houston gets it done in an OT thriller, Clemson surprises, and Marquette squeezes through. Then we finish with a look ahead to Sweet 16 and Elite 8 and make our updated picks. Cheers to Kelvin Sampson!
Mar 26, 2024•1 hr 15 min
Jacob and Max are back to share all about the 1st and 2nd rounds of the tournament! Here, we begin in the East and Midwest, where we discuss strong showings from top seeds and some really entertaining games, including a region that Max attended on Friday. Then we finish with a look ahead to Sweet 16 and Elite 8 and make our updated picks. Cheers to Mark Few!
Mar 26, 2024•1 hr 12 min
Any Given Thursday presents a brand new limited podcast series, Any Given Bracket, where basketball enthusiast Jacob Hill sits down with Maxwell Brown to discuss all things men's NCAA Tournament 2024. On Part 2 of the episode, we head to the South and West regions, headlined by Houston and North Carolina. We speculate whether anyone can knock off the top seeds in the South, sing the praises of a few Mountain West teams, and wonder what the hell is going to happen in a wide-open West. We also mak...
Mar 19, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Any Given Thursday presents a brand new limited podcast series, Any Given Bracket, where basketball enthusiast Jacob Hill sits down with Maxwell Brown to discuss all things men's NCAA Tournament 2024. On Part 1 of the episode, we tackle the East and Midwest regions of the bracket, led by number one seeds UConn and Purdue. We discuss the quality of the high seeds in the East, probe the popular upset picks in the Midwest, and wonder why the committee sucks so bad at seeding. We also make our picks...
Mar 19, 2024•57 min
We're back to cover the Round of 16 in the Europa Conference League! We had some big time matchups this round and only some of them disappointed! And by some, we mean Ajax. Shocker. Elsewhere, we got absolute thrillers in PAOK-Dinamo Zagreb and Maccabi Tel Aviv-Olympiacos, Fiorentina continues to embrace their messy-bitch energy, and Lille and Fenerbahce flexed their title-contention muscles. Finally, we finish the episode with Quarterfinal draw reactions and David's Coefficient Corner. Cheers t...
Mar 18, 2024•42 min
We're back to cover both legs of the Round of 16 in the Europa League! We had two scintillating weeks of action, and while the favorites made it through intact, there were some excruciatingly close calls - namely, Leverkusen-Qarabag. The Azerbaijani side pushed the undefeated German leaders to the absolute limit, but were undone by super-sub Patrik Schick in both legs. Elsewhere, we discuss Liverpool and Roma's dominant showings, debate the new favorites, and tackle the Quarterfinal draws. Be su...
Mar 18, 2024•1 hr 3 min
And that's one knockout round down, four to go! The Playoff Knockout Round of 24 - whatever it's called - is behind us, but not before we break down all the action! We had thrillers in Qarabag and Freiburg, an upset in Prague, and one of the wildest matches you'll ever see in Bodo. Later, we talk both Europa and Conference League draws and pick our best matchups for the Round of 16. Cheers Brian Priske!
Feb 27, 2024•1 hr 46 min
